Maryland's Dez Wells Suing Xavier University for Wrongful Expulsion

Current University of Maryland guard Dez Wells is attempting to sue Xavier University for wrongfully expelling him in 2012.

Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel has the news:

University of Maryland guard Dez Wells filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday seeking damages against his former school, Xavier University, and its president, Father Michael Graham, over what he asserts was his wrongful expulsion last summer.

The suit alleges Xavier failed to follow its own policies when deciding to expel him following a 2012 allegation of sexual assault. The local prosecutor investigated the case and not only declined to charge Wells but declared in media accounts the allegation "didn't reach anything close to a standard of proof" and "should never have gotten to the point where someone's reputation is ruined." A grand jury also declined to indict the basketball star.

During the summer of 2012, a Xavier student told campus police that she had been sexually assaulted by Wells, but he claimed that the two had consensual sex.

The woman didn't press charges, and Ohio prospector Joseph Deters, who investigated into the matter, "developed serious concerns about (the) truthfulness of the allegations," according to Wetzel. Deters has remained a supporter of Wells' innocence ever since.

Still, Wells was forced to meet with Xavier's University Conduct Board, and according to the lawsuit, the board broke several rules and procedures, while certain members "had received woefully inadequate training."

The basketball star was expelled by the UCB on August 3, which was 25 days before a grand jury opted not to indict Wells.

According to Wetzel, the current Maryland star is seeking "monetary compensation, as well as an overturning of the expulsion to clear Wells' name of what he calls a false accusation."

After transferring from Xavier to Maryland, Wells was able to gain immediate eligibility to play in 2013. He led the Terps with 13.1 points per contest while also chipping in 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.9 assists.

With Alex Len off to the NBA, the 6'5", 215-pound guard, who exploded at the end of last season and in the ACC tournament, figures to establish himself as one of the best players in the conference next year.